Beverage dispenser



April 3, 1934- c. A. GEDDES BEVERAGE DISPENSER Filed June 1:5. 1932 arles A. Geddes ATTO/m5? Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNT STATES Application June 13, 1932, Serial No. 616,917

1 Ciaim.

This invention relates to improvements in beverage dispensers, and has for its principal object the provision of simple and inexpensive means for reliably counting and registering each operation of the faucet for dispensing beverage therefrom.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for limiting the quantity of syrup dispensed with each operation of the faucet to that required for a single gl or other container in which the beverage is served and means for registering each operation for withdrawing such measured quantity of syrup.

A further: object of the invention is the provision of a counter with for operating it to register one unit each time the faucet is operated to dispense a glass of the beverage, the construction and arrangement being such that the counter is not operated until the valve is opened to permit the discharge of the beverage, and in which the valve is not opened until the operating fingerpiece has been moved to nearly its full extent, so that accidental operations thereof will not be registered or counted.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification.

1n the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the dispensing devices of a beverage dispenser illustrating one possible embodiment of the invention, parts of the casing being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, the casing for the counter being removed;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and looking in` the direction of the arrow at said line, parts being removed to expose underlying parts;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing parts in another position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing parts in still another position; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line.

Referring particularly to the drawing, 1 represents the casing of a beverage dispenser of Well known type, having an opening therein in which is mounted a dispensing device comprising a support 2 xed in the opening and carrying an outwardly projecting faucet member 3 on its outer end. The faucet member 3 has a syrup Y e is etween eey L,yrup from is conclue. d te the ineasLi-mg c valve member is in closed posit or e f has an u' wardly projecting nipple 1l which provides an auxiliary 1 iii communicating with the measuring chamber but which may be separated therefrom by means of a valve 13 seated on a vave seat arranged between the cha'` .,ers 4 and l2. The valve 13 is fixed on the lower end of a hollow valve stem 11i slidabiy mounted in a centrally arranged opening in a thiinble 15 threaded into the upper end of the nipple il. The thiinble 15 has enlarged openings in its ends, the lower one of which forms a part of the chamber 12 and the upper one is internally threaded for cooperation with a plug 16 which engages a packing for sealing the opening through which the valve stem projects. When the valve member is in said closed position to open the connection from the source of syrup supply to the measuring chamber, the syrup is free to flow to the measuring chamber until its level in valve stein reaches its level in said source of supply. When the valve member is turned to open the valve or to the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the passageway from the source of syrup supply to the measuring chamber closed by the valve meinber and an opening or passageway 17 in the valve member connects the front end of the passageway 9 with the discharge opening 7 to discharge the syrup from the measuring chamber to the discharge nozzle. Since a new supply of syrup cannot flow to the measuring chamber, the syrup will cease to flow from the opening '7 when the supply in the measuring chamber is exhausted and the valve member must be moved to closed position before a new charge of syrup can flow to the measuring chamber.

Means are provided for mixing a suitable diluent with the syrup in the discharge nozzle or a mixing chamber 18 in its upper end. To this end, a second passageway 19 in the faucet member is connected with a conductor 21 leading to a suitable source of supply, preferably under pressure, such as carbonated water. When the valve member is in closed position, the forward end of said passageway is closed thereby; when, however, the valve member is moved to its open position, the passageway 22 therein connects its forward open end with the discharge opening 'I to permit the diluent to flow therefrom into the syrup in the mixing chamber 18. Fixed to the rear end of the valve member 5 to turn therewith and having openings therethrough corresponding to its passa-geways is a gasket 23. A cap 24 is threaded in the front end of the faucet member to close the same and has a threaded openingl arranged centrally therein which receives a screw 25 having a pointed end arranged to axially engage the forward end of the Valve member and may serve to clamp the gasket 23 into engagement with its seat and lock the cap 24 against accidental displacement. A finger-piece 26 is secured in the valve member and projects outwardly therefrom through an elongated slotin the faucet member and serves as a convenient means for operating the valve member. The parts thus far described form no part of the present invention except as they enter into combination therewith, and are fully described and claimed in separate applications led of even date herewith.

The present embodiment comprises means registering and counting each operation of the valve member to dispense a glass or stein of the beverage, so that the number of drinks dispensed is at once apparent. To this end, a counter 28 of any conventional or preferred form is mounted on the faucet member. Said counter is inclosed in a suitable casing 29 which may be secured thereto by a suitable lock 3l, as shown, and has a counter scale 32 within convenient observation of the attendant. Detailed description of the counter is deemed unnecessary here since it may be of well known type and forms no part of the present invention except as it enters into combination therewith. The counter has a shaft 33 projecting from its forward end whereby it may be operated by a reciprocatory movement. Secured on the front end of this shaft is an am or finger 34 which resiliently engages the outer end of a stud or pin 35 by virtue of resilient means within the counter which tends to turn its shaft in one direction. The pin 35 is slidably ounted in the faucet member and at its inner end engages the outer periphery of the valve member in the path of a cam slot 36 provided therein. When the arm 34 is actuated against the tension of its spring, the parts are so timed that the first part of its movement is idle, but during the latter part of its movement, it operates the counter' t0 advance the unit scale one for unit. When the valve member is in its normal inoperative position shown in Fig. 3, the inner end of the pin 35 engages the deepest or inner end of the cam 36 in the valve member, and in this position of the valve member the discharge opening 7 is closed. When the valve member is moved in a clockwise direction, as seen in the drawing, toward open position, the pin 35 rides up the cam 36 and moves the arm 34 against the tension of its resilient means and operates the counter just at the time when it approaches the end of the cam or periphery of the valve member, approximately shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, at which time the passageways 22 and 17 are just about to register with the discharge opening 'l to permit the beverage to flow therefrom. A slight further movement to the right of the valve member from the Fig. 4 toward the Fig. 5 position and the inner end of the pin engages the outer' periphery of the valve member and swings the arm 3e to the limit of its movement, at the same time the passageway 17 moves into partial registration with the opening '7 and the beverage begins to ilow therefrom, although it is not brought into complete registration therewith until the valve member reaches the limit oi its movement, as shown in Fig. 5. By the arrangement shown, the counter is not operated to register until the valve is opened to permit the flow of the beverage so that it impossible to withdraw any of the beverage until the counter registers that fact. Moreover, an accidental partial movement of the valve member, as when clothing of the attendant catches the lnger-piece 28 and accidentally turns it from the vertical position, is not effective to aotuate the counter unless moved to such an extent to cause flow of the beverage.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that this application is intended to cover such changes or modifications as come within the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a beverage dispenser, the combination with a casing, of a faucet member mounted thereon, a rotatable valve member in said faucet member, means for turning said valve member in one direction to open the faucet and in the opposite direction to close the faucet, a counter including an operating arm, means for actuating said arm comprising a pin slidabl mounted in the faucet member in engagement with said arm and movable radially of the valve member, the latter having recess to receive the inner end of the pin, rface which forces the pin outwardly en the valve member is turned to operate the counter.

CHARLES A. GEDDES. 

